Responding to an accident where someone lost their life is one of the hardest things police officers do. Calling family members to inform them a loved one died in a car crash is part of the job those involved in law enforcement would rather do without.

In an effort to curtail the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities on Davidson County roads, five local police agencies are partnering in hopes of creating awareness about the negative impact distracted or impaired driving has on the public’s safety.

Thomasville Police Department is joining together with Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington Police Department, Denton Police Department and the State Highway Patrol in a program called Accident Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) to educate drivers about the dangers of distracted driving, especially amongst teenagers who are taking to the roads for the first time.

“Our vision with the city is to not only enforce the law but improve the quality of life in Thomasville,” TPD Lt. Donnie Rowe said. “Texting is new, but stuff like loud music has always been around, especially with the young kids. Speed is a factor and we had several fatalities involving teenage high school kids last year. We don’t want to see that this year, and if we can prevent it and learn from the accidents, we can hopefully stop anymore.

“We’re trying to get the education out there and we’re trying new things. The worst thing you can do is tell a parent their child was killed in an accident.”

Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) is sponsoring the initiative, and program director Phil Wiley feels the statistics call for action when it comes to increasing safety awareness.

“I think it takes a unified effort like this to stress the importance of education,” said Wiley. “It’s critical people understand how many folks are getting hurt on the highways. These crashes have significant impacts on families and can affect their standard of living. We need to stop and eliminate the distractions and it’s something the public has to make up its mind they’re going to do.”

According to data collected in 2006, Davidson County reported 35 fatal crashes among 120,273 licensed drivers. Teenagers accounted for 996 crashes resulting in 368 injuries and four deaths out of 6,761 licensed drivers between the ages of 15 and 19. Considering there was four times as many licensed drivers between the age of 45 and 54 reporting only 829 crashes during the same time period, it’s clear experience behind the wheel results in safer motorists.

“We want to educate people and encourage them to slow down,” Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said. “We have to change our habits, and a lot of it goes back to our busy lives. We’re always in a hurry to get somewhere.

“Young people don’t have the driving experience, and I don’t feel driver’s education is as strenuous as it used to be. Parents need to take the time to teach their kids how to drive so the can correct any bad habits. It’s such a wasted life whenever we respond to a traffic fatality that could’ve been prevented.”

New cars are safer and faster then ever before, and combined with the evolution of cell phone technology, a culture of distracted driving has been created, leading to excessive speeding and an increased chance for wrecks. Through ASAP, police will crack down on speeders and those found to be texting while driving. With alcohol accounting for nearly one fifth of all traffic fatalities in Davidson County, preventing drunk driving also is part of the ASAP program.

Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 888-3578, or duke@tvilletimes.com.